Suffering from severe depression? You are not alone.

There are plenty of Atlanta residents who are living their days — day in, day out — with depression. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report earlier this month that claims close to 8 percent of Americans have what is described as moderate to severe depression. However, even though this does equate to millions of Americans with depression, those living with the illness may feel like they are completely alone in the world with their symptoms.

In talking about depression, and looking at this recent report, Dr. Warren Taylor, who is a psychiatrist at the Vanderbilt University School of medicine, said he sees quite the range of symptoms when it comes to depression. This includes problems with sleeping and coping with life, as well as the reported inability to enjoy life.

What is interesting though is the fact that while 90 percent of those with depression reported that the illness was a disruption to their work life and social life, only one third of people with severe depression actually seek out medical help. This means a very large number of people are living with untreated depression. For many, it may be hard to even picture a life without these debilitating symptoms.

However, as is noted in this CBS News article, even when people do seek out treatment for depression, medical professionals may not be successful in figuring out what works best the first time around.

All of this is important information for a person living with depression to realize. Not only may some treatments work better than others, but it is also completely normal for a life to feel turned upside at times due to depression. In cases where the symptoms are disrupting work — even making it impossible to work — know that depression is recognized as a qualifying illness for disability benefits. A Social Security disability attorney can provide more information specific to a person’s diagnosis.